[CT Birds] Muntin bars and bird strikes

[Rob Ballinger]

Do muntin bars on the inside of windows do anything to reduce bird
strikes? We have removable grills on our windows and are considering
removing them to improve the view but are wondering if that would increase
bird strikes. I am thinking no because being on the inside they are
invisible on the outside anyway. But I'd like the community's opinions and
experience.
Thanks!

Rob Ballinger
Clinton

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[Joe Zygala]

This is only anecdotal, but my feeders are on our deck, which is bounded on one side by a sliding door and on another side by windows with removable muntin bars (but not removed) and the external screens removed (to improve visibility). I don’t think any birds have hit the windows, but they have hit the sliding door. My bars ARE clearly visible from the outside.

Joe Zygala

Sent from one of my iDevices

> On Feb 5, 2022, at 1:05 PM, Rob Ballinger <rayn...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Do muntin bars on the inside of windows do anything to reduce bird

[George Wallace]

Hey Rob,

Muntin bars or mullions probably only prevent collisions some of the time.
A bird approaching the window in just the right way may see the bar of the
mullion as an obstacle and vere away from the window all together. Or it
may dodge the mullion and go straight into the glass thinking that it can
fly past it. In practice, decals and other stickers or visual obstacles
need to be placed on windows so that they are no more than 2" apart. That
seems like a lot of stuff on your windows but that is what it takes to
prevent bird strikes on glass. Birds are used to flying between tree
branches and other obstacles with incredible agility, so deterrents placed
on glass need to be close together.

There is lots of information on this at
https://abcbirds.org/glass-collisions/

Very best to all,
George Wallace
Salisbury, CT

[Paul Plotnick]

I have had many small birds hit my dining room window but none of them were
ever hurt as far as I know. They bounce off and fly away. A Flicker once
hit my glass storm door and was stunned, but I placed him on the
ground rightside up and after a few minutes, he recovered and flew away. As
an aside, we have had many Titmice and Chickadees hover in front of the
window looking in when the feeder was empty when we were eating - also
Hummingbirds

On Sat, Feb 5, 2022 at 5:20 PM George Wallace <gwalla...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Rob Ballinger]

I've got Collidescape stickers on the most troublesome windows, plus I've
drawn lines with glass markers in line with the mulliens (so I can't see
them from the inside). Many of the windows have screens and that seems to
keep those impacts non-lethal. And I think you are right, Goerge. If the
birds come at the window in just the right way, they'll see the bars. But
at that angle if they can see the bars they can see inside the house. Both
should generally deter them from flying into the window. If the reflection
is all that is visible, then whether the bars or there are not probably
doesn't matter so much. Now I just have to decide if removing the bars so
I can see all the stickers and lines looks better than having the bars.

Rob Ballinger

On Sat, Feb 5, 2022 at 5:20 PM George Wallace <gwalla...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Robert Bitondi]

My house has two patio doors with exterior grills (fake divided lites) that
don't seem to get hit. Windows with true divided lites on an outbuilding
don't get hit. But I have both between-the-panes and interior mount
grills/muntins and they do little to nothing to prevent strikes. Shifting
angles of light and consequent glass reflection visible to birds in certain
approaches makes the grills invisible. Full length screens on some of
these windows softens the crashes.
Even worse of course are glass sliding doors; a few years ago I installed
"Acopian Bird Savers" [https://www.birdsavers.com/make-your-own/] (probably
discussed on CTBIrds) on three glass doors--with great success. Lengths of
paracord hang in front of the glass and the combination of movement with
breeze and dark vertical lines warns off approaching birds. They poop on
the sliders but don't hit them. This has been a great relief particularly
since migrating warblers had a heartbreaking propensity for crashing into
the glass. Even better, viewed from inside, the paracord sort of disappears
and doesn't look as awful as the other things I've tried. It can be bought
in kits but I cobbled my own very cheaply and easily. The setup can
certainly be applied to windows too.
Bob Bitondi
Pomfret Ctr